At the Asmadan Museum, you can see a small selection of amphorae, as well as a map illustrating their journey along the Anatolian coastline.
The term ‘amphora’ (Amphiphoreus) first appears in the works of Homer, the epic poet who recounted the Trojan War. In Troy, long before Homer’s time, double-handled jars exceeding 50 cm in height have been found in the second settlement layer, dated to the 3rd millennium BC. The oldest amphorae in our museum, however, date from the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC.
From the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, the development of trade in the Eastern Mediterranean—encompassing Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus, Crete and Egypt—led to the widespread use of commercial vessels designed for long-distance transport, giving rise to the need to develop a form of vessel specifically suited to this purpose.
Double-handled amphorae, characterised by an egg-shaped body, a narrow mouth and a rather short neck, first began to appear along the coasts of northern Lebanon and Syria. The amphorae in our museum, however, have pointed bases.
From the 8th century BC onwards, the Greeks replaced the Phoenicians in Mediterranean trade. It was during this period that amphorae took on the forms familiar to us today. From the 6th century BC onwards, Chios (Sakız), Samos (Sisam), Lesbos (Midilli), Klazomenai (Urla İskelesi) and Miletus exported their wine and olive oil to colonies along the coasts of the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas in their distinctive amphorae.
The Mediterranean amphorae in our museum were also used for the same purpose.
